Fire-extinguishing compound.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK r. HARRIS, or onnnronn, NEW ERS Y. v

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING COMPOUND. A r

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it lmown that I, FRANK P. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cranford, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extin-.guishing Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to' an im roved compound for extinguishing fireso a refractory nature, such as fires caused by burning petroleum oil,benzin, gasolene, and similar materials, and its novelty consists in theingredients of the compound.

The principle of application of the compound consists essentially inestablishing at the seat of combustion a lingering blanket ofa dry,heavy combustionarresting vapor, which is generated by throwing upon thefire a liquid capable of being volatilized by the heat of the fire, orof forming a film or blanket that shall further evolve vapors orby itsown action as a retardent, smother the flames, and producing the desiredheavy,

gaseous blanket after reaching or during the course of its passagetoward the fire.

The compounds are further applicable to the extinguishing of firescaused by electricity and fires around electrical machinery Where theuse of water would cause serious damage to the machinery and possibleinjury to the user.

The compound, used in forming the gase ous blanket referred to, ispreferably a mixture of acetylene haloid derivatives, such as acetylenetetrabromid, diluted by the addition of other compounds, such as carbontetrachlorid, the function of which cornpounds is that of anon-inflammable vehicle to convey the acetylene compound to the point ofservice;

I preferably form the compound by taking a suitable quantity of such avehicle, for

instance, carbon tetrachlorid, adding thereto a haloid acetylenederivative, such as acetylene tetrabromid so that the acetylenederivative is about by weight of the total mass. To the compound sofdrmed there is preferably added a com ound, such as trich lorethylene,to reduce t e freezing point of- ,the resultant liquid." The fluid soformed. should be kept in asuitable container, and

be maintained therein under pressure either by the use of liquidcarbonic acid or compressed air or other vapors or fluids, whichSpecification of Letters Patent.

' the objects upon'w will give the necessary ejecting force from thecontainer when the compound is applied.

Patented July 4, 1916. Application filed June 2, 1914. Serial No.842,374.

Or application of the fluid maybe had by mechanical means through theagencyof a properly made device that shall expel the fluid. When used itis forced in a stream toward the fire and its vapors, being bothvolatile and heavy, there is produced a blanket of dry incombustiblevapor overlying the burning material, and shutting ofi the supply ofair, thus effectually extinguishing the blaze by a process ofsmothering. This blanket, moreover, is of such a nature that it does notmingle with the vapors produced from the combustion of the burningmatehave such a high specific gravity that they are not materiallydissipated by the force of the draft created by such combustion as mightbe the case with lighter vapors.

' rial and the non-combustible vapors formed 1,

When the fluid is delivered above the burning liquids, such as gasoleneor oil, the gaseous blanket immediately settles over the surface anddoes not materially scatter the liquid, but remains over the surface aconsiderable time as a heavy blanket which is incombustible and anon-supporter of combustion and an extinguisher of flame and therebysmothers the blaze,

' I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the use of theparticular in gredients mentioned for the acetylene compound or to theparticular mixtures added to such compound, although-from practicalexperience, I have found that the use of certain mixtures, such asacetylene tetrabromid with a proper vehicle, such'as carbon tetrachloridwhich is itself non-inflammable With or withoutthe addition of anothercompound, such as trichlorethylene to aid in the reduction of thefreezing point of the resulting liquid is more effective than that ofthe point; The preme, no injurious affect ing no residue left and so faras known to to any fabric or material.

The fluid above described is peculiarly adaptable for the extinguishingof fires from burning petroleum distillates, such as gasolene, keroseneand lubricating oils, from the fact that the preferred form of the fluidis miscible with such liquids, whereby a stream of the extinguishingcompound or fluid, delivered upon the surface of such liquid in a stateof ignition would not by the force of impact penetrate through theliquid to a point beneath its surface and thus lose its efliciency. Onthe contrary, it is obvious that being so miscible withliquids of thisclass, it cannot pass through a layer of such liquid and therefore itsextinguishing effect will be promoted.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid adapted'for use in extinguishing fires, comprising a haloidderivative of acetylene in a non-combustible liquid vehicle, incombination with a suitable. compound adapted to reduce thefreezingpoint of the mixture.

2. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising a haloidderivative of acetylene in a non-combustible liquid vehicle, a compound,having a bromin radical in its structure, and a suitable ingredientadapted to reduce the freezing point of the mixture. 4

3. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylenetetrabromid and carbon tetrachlorid.

4. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylenetetrabromid, carbon tetrachlorid and trichlorethylene.

5. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires com rising acetylenetetrabromid, carbon tetrac lorid and a noncombustible liquid adapted toreduce the freezing point of the mass.

6. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylenetetrabromid, carbon tetrachlori bromoform.

7. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising a haloidderivative of acetylene a non-combustible liqui' vehicle thereformiscible with petroleum stillates, a compound having a bromin radical inits structure, and anoncombustible liquid adapted to reduce the freezingpoint of the mass. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- FRANK P. HARRIS,

Witnesses:

ALDA' L. Mnmm, MARY H. LEWIS.

trichlorethylene and

